The Breyers “Natural Vanilla” ice cream settlement centers on how “vanilla” gets represented on labels and what consumers reasonably think they’re buying. Plaintiffs alleged that Conopco/Unilever marketed certain Breyers vanilla products in a way that suggested the vanilla taste came from vanilla bean (vanilla plant) ingredients, when the products allegedly relied instead on other “natural” flavor sources described as non‑vanilla “plant flavors.” That distinction matters because vanilla is one of the most valuable and scrutinized flavorings in the food industry, and shoppers often pay a premium for products they believe are flavored with real vanilla rather than alternative natural flavors. The lawsuit was filed under consumer-protection and false-advertising theories, arguing that the “Natural Vanilla” messaging could mislead reasonable buyers and influence purchasing decisions. Although the company denied wrongdoing, it agreed to an $8.85 million settlement to resolve the claims, covering U.S. purchases made from April 21, 2016 through August 14, 2024; eligible consumers can claim $1 per product (up to $8 without proof, or more with proof) by February 19, 2025. Beyond the payments, the case is significant because it pressures brands to be more precise about flavor-source claims and highlights how quickly label wording can become a legal risk when it implies an ingredient origin that the formulation may not match. More broadly, this fits into a long-running wave of “labeling” class actions targeting terms like “natural,” “vanilla,” and ingredient representations where the fine print (or the underlying flavor chemistry) doesn’t align with the impression created on the front of the package. In the U.S., labeling is governed in part by FDA rules for flavors (including how “natural flavor” is defined and how characterizing flavors like vanilla may be described), while state consumer-fraud statutes often drive these cases because they focus on whether marketing is likely to mislead. As similar suits have shown across the grocery aisle—from beverages to baked goods—the practical implication is that companies may reformulate, relabel, or adjust marketing language to reduce ambiguity about whether a flavor comes from the named source ingredient or from other permitted natural flavorings.